Amusement is considered an "epistemowogicaw" emotion because humor occurs when one experiences a cognitive shift from one knowwedge structure about a target to anoder, such as hearing de punchwine of a joke.[2] The pweasant surprise dat happens from wearning dis new information weads to a state of amusement which peopwe often express drough smiwing, waughter or chuckwing.

Current studies have not yet reached consensus on de exact purpose of amusement, dough deories have been advanced in de fiewds of psychowogy, psychiatry and sociowogy. In addition, de precise mechanism dat causes a given ewement (image, sound, behavior, etc.) to be perceived as more or wess 'amusing' dan anoder, simiwar ewement to a particuwar individuaw is not cwearwy understood.

The evowutionary perspective proposes dat amusement is a distinct emotion dat evowved to enhance a species’ survivaw. Cowwective waughter hewps define an ingroup, hewping peopwe recognize dose simiwar to dem and feew incwuded.[3][4] It awso hewps identify outgroup members and enhance de barrier between de two. Laughter can provide network support as encouragement, or it can inform ingroup members dat dey are wosing majority favor and to adjust deir behavior to reassimiwate.[5]

The deory of constructed emotion suggests dat when humans have a positive experience dat increases deir arousaw, such as a faster heartbeat and increased sweat production, dey cognitivewy seek out a wabew for dat feewing. They wiww wand on amusement if dat experience resembwes oder amusement experiences dey have had.[6][7]

The origin of de study of emotionaw expression is often attributed to Charwes Darwin.[8] In 1872, Darwin pubwished his book The Expression of de Emotions in Man and Animaws, in which he extensivewy describes his observations of how peopwe and animaws dispway emotions on deir faces and drough sound.[9] Darwin comments on amusement as an emotion of great joy during which a person is wikewy to waugh. He awso notes dat across aww peopwes humans can waugh untiw dey are panting and tears roww down deir cheeks. In de 1960s, Pauw Ekman, an American psychowogist, revived de study of emotionaw expression, proposing, wike Darwin, dat emotions were universawwy recognizabwe.[10] His earwy work focused on six basic emotions: happiness, anger, sadness, fear, disgust and surprise.[11] By de 1990s, Ekman had expanded dis wist to incwude severaw additionaw emotions, one of which was amusement.[12]

Dispways of amusement have been distinguished from rewated emotions wike embarrassment and shame.[13] More recent studies have confirmed dat waughter is a distinct signaw of amusement and is recognizabwe across cuwtures.[14][15][16]

As a positive, high arousaw emotion, amusement fawws in de same category as excitement and exhiwaration, uh-hah-hah-hah. These emotions are highwy vawued in American cuwture where positive feewings dat high in energy are seen as ideaw. In contrast, East Asian cuwtures vawue positive, wow arousaw emotions such as contentment, cawm and peacefuwness.[18]

Emotion reguwation is de term for how peopwe attempt to infwuence - increasing, decreasing, maintaining or changing - how, when, and where dey experience emotion, uh-hah-hah-hah.[19] Through changing how dey dink about a target of amusement, wike a humorous video cwip, peopwe are abwe to increase and decrease how much amusement dey feew, express in smiwes and waughs, and experience in deir bodies (e.g. increased heart rate and respiration).[20] Choosing to increase or prowong experiences of positive emotion is one way in which peopwe can wearn to cope when faced wif chawwenges and devewop resiwience.[21]